Alan Alda Uses His iPod to Learn Lines!
The Switched Questionnaire: Alan Alda
Whether he's on TV (M*A*S*H, The West Wing), in a movie (an Oscar-winning performance in The Aviator), or writing books (his upcoming tome, 'Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself,' is out September 4), Alan Alda is one of the busiest men in show business. To pull all this off, he makes full use of the latest tech supplies, from laptops and iPods (for line learning) to broadband cards and and smartphones (for writing his book!). It gets better: The guy who once played "Hawkeye" Pierce on TV's M*A*S*H actually likes to fix PCs! Since he's got the new book, and a new movie ('Resurrecting the Champ,' in which he plays Josh Hartnett's newspaper editor), Alda took some time to tell us about his favorite gadgets.
What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set?
My cell phone, laptop and iPod. I use the IPod to learn my lines.
What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love or hate about it?
Cingular 8125. It has broadband and a real keyboard. I've gone to Europe with it instead of a laptop and written parts of my book on it.
Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?
I texted one of my granddaughters to say hi. Like a lot of kids, she hardly uses e-mail anymore.
Where do you go pretty much every time you get online?
When I have a book coming out, I'm on Amazon a lot, checking the book's ranking, like every other crazy author. It gets addictive. Otherwise, I always check my mail on the Webmail service that's dedicated to stuff I buy, so all my Web receipts are in one place. It's where I find out that the thing I bought is back ordered and will arrive when hell freezes over.
What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop (or any other gadget)?
Batteries. They have to be fed more than the big Saint Bernard I had as a child.
Name one thing you wish your iPod, cellphone, laptop or other gadget could do that it doesn't do now?
I wish I could get around the Internet faster on my broadband card.
What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on?
I really, really want a laptop with solid state flash drive instead of a hard drive with moving parts. I almost made one myself last year. I'm hoping it boots up as fast as I think it will. And eats less.
You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?
An international cell phone with a really good connection to 911.
What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod?
Me, when I'm listening to my lines on the set. Otherwise, Bach.
BlackBerry, Sidekick, or Treo?
I'm most comfortable with Windows Mobile on my 8125. It's a couple of years old, but I don't see anything that tempts me away yet.
Do you have or are you getting an iPhone-if so, why?
I don't think so. I'm afraid of the keyboard. But I haven't held one in my hands yet, so I'm not being fair.
What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it?
I play short games. Chess and FreeCell and Bubble Breaker. I used to like
Space Invaders in a previous existence. Remember that?
Do you use a Mac or PC? Why?
I prefer a PC. What I like about the PC is that it's always breaking down and I have to figure out how to fix it. It keeps me alert. I'm geeky about computers. I love it when I have to find out how to bring them back to life. I guess it's all those years of doing triage.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mrdickieweed @ Aug 25th 2007 2:58PM
Is it just me, or does Alan Alda sound like Bugs Bunny?...
Robert @ Aug 25th 2007 6:00PM
Ahhh! Bach!
Scott Brody @ Aug 25th 2007 7:23PM
I'm glad that Robert picked up on the "Ahh Bach" line. As soon as I read that line in the article my mind immediately went to the same place. Good to see another big M*A*S*H fan. Funny that he prefers PC since in like 82 - 83 he used to do commercials for Mac.
Caterina Pryde @ Aug 26th 2007 10:16AM
82-83?? The Mac came out in 84. Was he doing commercials for the apple 2e?
Michael Pemberton @ Aug 27th 2007 12:14AM
Caterina, after doing a fast search on the internet, Alan Alda was hocking Atari computers in a commercial during the 1984 Super Bowl. Maybe that's what Scott's thinking of. Not sure, though.